10 Cool Cars Under $18,000

Ford and Honda each make two of the coolest $18,000 cars, but top honors went to Fiat.

DETROIT ( TheStreet) -- At a time when automakers are charging more for their products, bargains take on a special appeal.

But vehicles priced under $18,000 continue to be widely available, and now the editors of Kelley Blue Book recently have compiled a list of the top ten coolest new cars in the price range.

"There are great deals to be had on many new cars under $18,000, but only a handful of them really possess that cool, difficult-to-describe 'it' factor," said Jack Nerad, executive editorial director for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com., in a prepared statement.

The publication listed these criteria: fun-to-drive, fun-to-own, and a Kelley Blue Book fair purchase price of $18,000 or less.